Have you ever run out of your prescription medicine only to find you have to wait days to see a doctor so you can get a refill? Or, perhaps you’ve come down with an infection that requires antibiotics but won’t be able to see a physician until the following week!
Both of these situations are less than ideal. The good news is that there’s a remedy to this issue: telemedicine.
If you’re interested in learning more about telemedicine and how it works, keep reading. Let’s take a look at a few key telemedicine benefits that will have you wanting to sign up with one of the many telemedicine companies out there.
What Is Telemedicine?
To get started, let’s take a look at the telemedicine definition. Telemedicine is simply a way for patients to use technology to communicate with a physician or healthcare provider. It is used instead of visiting a doctor in person.
Telemedicine is made up of three main technologies:
Interactive medicine: a type of medicine that lets patients and physicians connect in real-time
Remote patient monitoring: a type of medicine that lets doctors remotely monitor their patient’s vitals and data
Store and forward: a system that allows doctors to store and transfer patient information virtually
Each of these types of telemedicine enables patients to discuss symptoms and medical issues with a healthcare provider. They’re typically conducted via live chats, emails, phone calls, and video calls.
What Is Telemedicine vs. Telehealth?
Now that you understand what telemedicine is, let’s take a moment to separate it out from telehealth. While these two terms sound similar, they’re actually a little bit different.
Telemedicine refers to remote patient services. This includes virtual office visits, online communication, and patient portals.
In contrast, telehealth is defined as the overall technology that is used to provide care and services at a distance. It can include patient and physician education as well as simple care services.
Knowing this difference is important for fully understanding the benefits of telemedicine and telehealth as a whole.
The Benefits of Telemedicine
There are so many different benefits of telemedicine. Here are a few reasons why so many doctors are choosing to provide this type of healthcare as opposed to traditional office visits.
It’s Convenient
One of the main reasons why people are turning to telemedicine is its convenience. With telemedicine, gone are the days of waiting hours or weeks to set up an appointment with your patients.
Instead, patients can simply log onto a virtual platform and get a consultation right away. Since your patients no longer need to make an appointment weeks in advance, you’re able to provide them with more immediate care for simple health issues.
On top of that, telemedical visits can be conducted from the comfort of your home. This saves you heaps of time in traffic heading to the office and makes it easier to accept appointments around a busy schedule.
It Prevents Infectious Diseases
While working in a clinic is the reality for most healthcare providers, it exposes them to numerous infectious diseases. With so many sick people in one room, it’s easy to get infected while you’re trying to help people get better!
The good news is that telehealth solutions keep doctors and patients alike out of that environment and help protect you from coming down with diseases. Instead of waiting in a germy office, individuals can stay in their homes and keep themselves safe.
It Provides a Better Assessment
One of the disadvantages of in-person doctor’s visits is that patients are not in their home environment. This could cause them to act or react differently than they would at home.
When they have a telemedical appointment, however, you’re are able to assess the patient in an environment where they’re comfortable. This can give them clues as to what could be causing any discomfort and get them a proper diagnosis.
For example, people with allergies may be suffering from triggers in the home that aren’t present at the doctor’s office. Over a virtual appointment, you can spot possible allergens in the home to help guide your patient’s diagnosis.
It’s Easy to Loop in Family Members
Sometimes, you may need additional information from your patients’ family members in order to provide them with care. Telehealth makes it easier to coordinate with patients’ family members who live far away.
Rather than having to meet up in person, patients can simply conference the family member into your call. This makes it much faster for you to get hold of patient records or other key information to help you care for your client.
It’s Fast
One important benefit of telemedicine is that it allows healthcare providers to quickly connect with patients. Doctors are able to give their patients the assistance they need without causing needless delays.
Better yet, it helps you take care of your patients without having to go into the office. You can skip the wait in traffic or any hiccups that come with working from the office.
By using a virtual provider system, you can save a large amount of time on travel and administrative wait times.
Take Advantage of These Telemedicine Benefits
As you can see, there are many valuable telemedicine benefits. Perhaps that’s why so many people are making the switch from offering in-person visits to virtual telemedicine appointments.
Are you interested in launching telemedicine services for your patients? Good choice! Reach out to us and we’ll help you sign up today.